Abstract PI: JACOBS, BERTRAM L. Project: 1R13AI091299-01 Title: XVII International Poxvirus, Asfivirus and Iridovirus Symposium Accession Number: 3255457 ================== NOTICE: THIS ABSTRACT WAS EXTRACTED FROM APPLICATION AND HAS NOT BEEN PROOFED BY AN SRA.WHEN THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE APPLICATION SCANNING PROCESS, THE EXTRACTED TEXT MAY BE INCORRECT OR INCOMPLETE. ================== This R13 grant proposal is submitted to NIAID for support of the XVIII International Poxvirus, Asfivirus and Iridovirus Symposium, to be held from June 5-10, 2010 at the Poco Diablo Resort in Sedona, AZ. This is the premier meeting for the growing community of researchers working on pox and pox-related viruses and for scientists seeking to learn more about the impact of these viruses on basic and medical science. The 2010 conference continues a tradition of workshop-style meetings on pox and pox-related viruses held every two years. The 2010 conference is expected to attract approximately 225 participants. The Scientific Program will consist of 8 sessions of oral presentations by speakers drawn from submitted abstracts in the following subject areas: (1) Virus entry, (2) Viral transcription and gene expression, (3) Viral DNA biology and genome structure (including genomics and proteomics), (4) Virion assembly and egress, (5) Virus host cell-interaction and signaling, (6) Immunomodulation and pathogenesis, (7) Viral vectors and vaccines, and (8) Prophylaxis and therapy. The Scientific Program Committee will select speakers from submitted abstracts and will serve as Discussion leaders for these sessions. The Program will also include two poster sessions. To encourage career development of junior scientists, abstracts from the ranks of graduate students and post-docs will be given priority for presentation. The US government, through NIH, has mobilized efforts to develop an effective response to the public health concerns regarding smallpox and monkeypox and the need to rapidly translate the recent advances in poxvirus molecular biology into new, safe and effective strategies for treatment and prophylaxis of poxvirus infections. In addition, the recent emergence of an asfivirus in Eastern Europe and the recognition of iridoviruses as central players in fish and amphibian mortalities world-wide, make this a unique opportunity to bring together the group of virologists interested in the pox and pox-related viruses to discuss our progress in dealing with these important human and animal pathogens. Finally, with the recent partial success of a poxvirus-based HIV vaccine regimen, there is renewed interest in improving poxviruses as vaccine vectors. The timing of the XVIII International Poxvirus, Asfivirus and Iridovirus Symposium is ideally tailored to providing a venue for discussions of how new understanding of the basic biology of these important viruses can be translated into regimens that can improve human health and food security, highlighting the advances achieved by the research community in response to new initiatives and to continue to draw new talent into the field. Poxviruses cause human smallpox and human monkeypox, and the pox-related viruses (asfiviruses and iridoviruses) infect organisms important as human food sources. Poxviruses are also in the forefront for development of vaccine vectors to fight human and animal diseases. Thus, the XVIII International Poxvirus, Asfivirus and Iridovirus Symposium is ideally suited to providing a venue for discussions of how new understanding of the basic biology of these important viruses can be translated into regimens that can improve human health and food security.